Texas-Based Security & AV Integrator Selects D-Tools for Large-Scale Security and Automation Project
HomeSmart Shares How the D-Tools Platform Saves Them Both Time and Money
With over 20 years of experience in security and AV technology under their belts, the mid-sized, family owned HomeSmart of Kingsland, Texas, is no stranger to large custom integration projects. To suit the needs of the 18-person company, HomeSmart was looking for an easier way to bid, design, and manage even the largest of projects. The company recently discovered first-hand how well D-Tools System Integrator (SI) software works for security and surveillance integration projects as it does for the design and installation of smart home and AV systems.
HomeSmart had been using a competitor’s product to produce bids, but recently increased their productivity by 80 percent by implementing D-Tools to create professional proposals, design their systems, and manage projects from start to finish. Ben Thompson, whose job duties include Sales/Design/Operations Management for HomeSmart, states, “We use D-Tools for everything from pricing to ordering, scheduling, invoicing, accepting payments, and for all our CAD design. The D-Tools platform has helped us streamline and improve our sales and design processes by 100 percent, resulting in timely installs 100 percent of the time and increased customer happiness. It’s difficult to put a price on that, other than to say it has resulted in more customer referrals for increased profits and growth. This is the platform we use for every project now.”
The Fredonia, Texas, home belongs to a repeat customer. Thompson describes the house as “a sight to see, and a true work-of-art, very lavish, with extensive attention paid to every detail, from the design and décor to the technology systems.” The client was seeking a streamlined, simplified technology experience with all the modern luxuries, including custom lighting, audio, video, security, and surveillance, all controlled throughout the home using touchpads and mobile devices with a centralized Control4 system. In addition, the HomeSmart experts were charged with installing a new network with wireless access points throughout the house, creating a robust infrastructure to run the control system as well as the rest of the home’s technology. “The residence includes almost two entire server racks of equipment, including power protectors, networking equipment such as routers and switches, amplifiers, audio/video matrixes and much more,” says Thompson.
With the size and scope of the project in mind, Thompson knew he would have to rely on the robust D-Tools platform to keep things running smoothly while staying on time and to-budget. The Fredonia home was one of the largest projects for the company and the first where HomeSmart used D-Tools’ powerful CAD integration capabilities—and this learning on-the-fly turned out to be a benefit later on. “The knowledge we acquired working on a job of this scale gave our design team a solid foundation for us to improve as time has passed,” says Thompson.
HomeSmart Looks to the Future with D-Tools
After completing this showcase project, Thompson and his team were impressed by how much D-Tools helped the security and AV integration firm reduce costs, work faster and more accurately, as was their customer, whose expectations were exceeded on the large-scale, multi-faceted project.
After just a short time using the platform, Thompson says he’s had an exceptionally positive experience. He notes that he appreciates that new features are added regularly, contributing to the value of the software investment, and that prompt support and training is always available for any of the features and functions.
Thompson says he’s also looking forward to digging deeper into the software platform to enjoy additional benefits. “I can’t wait to implement the new Customer Portal to improve communication and engagement with clients, and to start using inventory management to further reduce costs and save time.”
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